


a dozen ways to say i love you

by purelyhxrry



Category: The Pinkertons (TV)
Genre: Drabble, F/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-06
Updated: 2017-01-06
Packaged: 2018-09-15 07:44:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9225392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purelyhxrry/pseuds/purelyhxrry
Summary: As the moon shone brightly outside the window, Kate’s heart slowed. The stars shone brightly, smiling down at her, illuminating the future. She would always be there, she decided. From this moment on, she would vow to always be there for William Pinkerton – just as he was always there for her. That’s what good partners do, she thought. Good partners are always there for each other.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first venture into the world of Pinkertons fanfiction, but boy am I glad to be here! It’s such a cute and quaint lil show, and I’m happy to reppin for my Pinkertons fam.  
> Special thank to kate-warne on Tumblr for encouraging me and introducing me to the A03 site!  
> Here’s ‘A Dozen Ways to Say I Love You,’ in honor of Kate and Will, our OTP. #kill? #wate? Geez, both are terrible.

  1. **  
** Jade evergreen bushes crown their heads as they trudge through the thick snow, powdery under their feet. The night is dark, the path unclear. Kate’s breath is puffy smoke as she follows closely behind Will; his dark figure a beacon of hope in front of her.



She stumbles briefly in the snow. It’s powdery, but that doesn’t mean it isn't wearisome. They’d lost sight of the suspect hours ago. Now, they were following his tracks in the ever deepening snow.

“You okay?” Will called over his shoulder to her, pushing some conifer branches out of his path. “I’m fine,” she responded, following him through the forest. Looking at her feet, she sighed. This was near useless.

“Drat,” her partner muttered as he slowed to a stop. Peering around him, Kate saw their dead end: a river. Shallow enough to not be covered with ice, the suspect had clearly been smart enough to jump in and lose the trail. Cold as it would’ve been, Kate couldn’t help but admire the suspect’s intelligence.

Will sighed, brushing a hand over his face. He was tired; she could see it, in his eyes, hollow. There was an unseeing nature in them now, it came with the exhaustion. She knew it showed on her features, too. They were both waning.

Pursing her lips, she fluttered her eyelashes as she looked up to the stardusted sky which blew snowflake kisses down on them. “We need to head back,” she commented, studying the moon. “The moon’s out now, but with this snowfall, soon it won’t be.”

Wil nodded, turning to leave. As he did, he stepped close to the riverbank. Stumbling, he fell onto his knees, foot dangling near the icy water. Some of the snow must have accumulated near the water’s edge, giving a false illusion of safety.

By impulse, Kate grabbed him by the arm firmly. **“Are you alright?”** she asked, kneeling down in the snow to help him. He gave her a small smile as she helped him to his feet. “I’m fine,” he reassured her. Snowflakes caught on his eyelashes as he looked down at her. “Let’s go home.”

  1.   
“He went upstairs,” Annalee said sharply, pointing up the stairs to the second floor at the Dubois Hotel. “He was not happy, he stomped up there like a five-year-old with a tootheache.”



Kate smiled. “Description?”

“Greasy brown hair, sharp eyes. Wrinkles- lots of ‘em. I’d say 5’11’’, maybe taller. Late forties.”

“And you’re sure you saw him accept money from our client?”

Annalee nodded. “Wouldn’t be telling you if I wasn’t.”

Will chuckled softly, turning away from the counter to head upstairs. Annalee reached out and clutched his arm. “You need to be careful, Will,” she asserted. “He had a gun. And he wasn’t afraid of letting anyone know he had it, neither.”

Will locked gazes with Kate. He himself had a gun, but it was Pinkerton policy not to use it if necessary. “I’ll come with you,” she said quickly. She didn’t like to dwell on the strange feeling in her stomach when she thought about Will being put in danger. “Two against one? He won’t even think about it.”

“No,” Will interjected immediately. “You need to stay down here. The hallway’s up there have two exits- he could easily escape down here if he heard me coming.”

Kate knew he was right. And she hated him for it. Briefly, she looked towards Annalee, then grasped Will’s firm arm in her tiny hands and hauled him away from the bar, out of Annalee’s earshot. **“Be careful,”** she whispered – soft, but strong. She lifted her chin, defiant of a disastrous future.

One corner of his mouth curled up in the smallest grin. “You got it, Kate,” he murmured, winking at her and allowing his face to break into a full smile. “I’ll be right back. Don’t you worry.”

  1. **  
** The hot July weather was enough to make a monk go mad, Kate decided. Even sitting on her porch in the shade with a block of ice pressed to her neck, she was still ready to melt. How did the farmers do it? How did John do it? She watched her friend hoe in the fields next to the house. Goodness gracious. Just looking at him made her even hotter.



A horse whinnied as it entered her yard. She recognized it right away. Will’s. She felt herself inhale quickly, and subconsciously, she reached up and adjusted her hair. Halfway through, she realized what she was doing, and dropped her hand. What had gotten into her? The heat was doing things to her brain, after all.

Sashaying up to the porch, Will chuckled when he saw her. “Good grief, Kate. You’re wasting a perfectly good piece of ice!”

Cocking her head, Kate narrowed her eyes at him. “Better that than I keel over from heatstroke while on a case,” she bit back. Will raised his hands, as if being put under arrest. Raising her eyebrows, knowing he was defeated, she asked, “Do _you_ have a case? Is that why you’re out here?”

Will looked down at the ground quickly, scuffing his boots in the dry summer dirt. “Actually, no,” he admitted. Looking up at her, he asserted, “But I was working today. Honest.” Satisfied she wasn’t going to go off on a tangent, he continued. “I was tracking Kessler’s horse when I found this. **It reminded me of you.** Figured I’d come by and give it to you…. And update you on the case.”

Breathless, Kate watched as he pulled something out of his shirt pocket. He held it with such care. She didn’t think she’d ever seen Will – William Pinkerton, rough and tough detective, all bark, all bite, mighty and strong, never-been-caught – handle something so gently. It took her breath away. He looked up at her nervously before carefully unfolding his palm.

In it lay a purple flower.

“It’s a bluejacket,” he rushed on, clearly nervous. “I saw it – there was a whole patch of trilliums, you know, those red ones. Right by the road, a whole scattering of these red flowers. But-” his voice cut off briefly as she delicately transferred the bluejacket from his palm to hers. “In the midst of all these red trilliums, was this one. All by itself. Standing alone, in a field of strangers.”

Running a finger over the petals, entranced, Kate looked up into Will’s eyes. She was taken aback. Still, she willed him to go on. “Why… Why did you think of me?” Looking back down at the flower, it was hard to understand why anyone would see such a beautiful flower and think of her.

“Because that’s you, Kate,” Will emphasized. “Standing beautiful in a field of strangers.” Bravely, he reached out and grasped her other hand in his. “You are the first and only female detective in all of America. You are so brave, Kate, to do what you do and to stand tall while doing it.” Abashedly, he ducked his head and studied his feet again. “I’ve never told you that before… And I should have.”

Stunned, Kate looked back and forth between the flower and her partner, the man she had come to trust and respect in ways she never had anyone else before. She did not realize her silence until Will stammered, “It was stupid, I’m sorry, I don’t know why-”

“No!” Kate stood abruptly, still cupping the flower like the precious jewel it was in her hands. “Please don’t say that,” she admonished. Looking deeply into Will’s eyes, she returned his bravery by cupping a hand by his cheek. “That is one of the nicest things anyone has ever said, or done, for me. Thank you.”

  1. **  
** Kate’s always been a little clumsy.



Will noticed it the first day she got here. She came off the train, pretending to be all high and mighty, and accidently tripped on her skirt and almost fell down the steps. It makes him smile, now, when he thinks of it. Ever since then, Kate’s established her clumsiness time and time again, on case after case.

Today was no different.

They were in the sheriff’s office, finalizing some paperwork for him while he was in the other room, yelling at the deputy. They stood opposite each other, each on the end of the long interrogation table, sorting files and case reports.

Kate was adjusting some papers when she gasped and clutched her hand to her chest. She swore.

“What? What is it?”

Lifting her finger to her face, she examined it. “Papercut,” she gritted.

Will wrinkled his nose. Small as the buggers were, they hurt. Pursing his lips, he watched as blood started to drip down her hand. Sighing, he put his papers down. **“Come here. I’ll fix it.”**

She looked up at him. Trust shone in her eyes. It took his breath away sometimes. The trust and respect this woman had for him. He didn’t take these things lightly.

Advancing towards him, Kate held the cut to her mouth and sucked on the wound. While she did, Will took his kerchief out of his pocket. Sensing what he was going to do, Kate slapped her hand down on his. “Don’t!” She said. “Please, it’s your only one.”

 _You’re worth it,_ he wanted to say. But he didn’t. So many words for Kate never even made it out of his mouth. He simply ripped the kerchief anyway. “May I?” he asked Kate. She nodded, giving her hand to him. Cradling it gently in his rough palm, he carefully tied the kerchief around the wound. “There. All better.”

  1. **  
** It had been a long day. Exhaustion lay like a weight across Will’s shoulders as he trudged across the street towards the Dubois. All day, out in the autumn rain and wind. And for nothing.



Groaning in frustration, he threw open the door and shuffled his feet inside. He scanned the hazy dining area. It was busy tonight. Miyo had said something about there being a performance. He rolled his eyes. What did he care?

Finally, he found her. They’d agreed to meet at the Dubois after their separate days’ work of surveillance. Kate was sitting, looking just as exhausted and wet as he was, alone at a table by herself. In front of her was a plate of food. Still hot, judging from the steam rising from it.

He advanced towards her, every step feeling like a battle between his mind and body. His body wanted to lay down on the dirty floor and just sleep. His mind knew he had to finish briefing with Kate.

She looked up as he came forward, and from the look on her face, he knew he looked terrible. She stood up as he came closer, reaching across the table to the opposite chair and pulling a blanket out. “I got this from Miyo,” she explained as he sat down. She wrapped the blanket around his shoulders. He nodded in thanks.

His gaze caught the plate of food. His stomach grumbled loudly. He hadn’t even realized how hungry he was until that very moment.

Kate followed his gaze and smiled, pushing the food towards him. Tortiere- just like his French-Canadien Aunt would make. **“I saved a piece for you,”** Kate said, sitting down next to him. He grunted his thanks as he began to eat. “Now, let’s go over our day. I went down by the river…”

  1. **  
** A coyote howled somewhere in the distance. Sighing, Will shifted into a more comfortable position. But really, how comfortable could he be? He’d been lying on his elbows for hours, peering over the ridge to the bushwhacker camp below.



“Will you stop moving?” Kate hissed from beside him. “They’ll hear you, and then all these hours out in the cold will be for nothing.”

Will scowled at her. “I’m not moving that much,” he whispered back. “You’re the one with the whisper as quiet as a foghorn.”

Kate rolled her eyes, and scooted up closer to the edge of the ridge. It wasn’t until she moved closer Will could feel her shoulders shaking. “Are you cold?” he asked.

“No,” Kate said sharply. But as he listened, he knew she was lying. Her shoulders continued to shake, and her teeth started chattering. She tried, in vain, to stop shivering.

Will eyed her out of the corner of his eye. If there was one thing Kate Warne hated, it was being underprepared. She came prepared for anything – that woman carried everything in that satchel of hers. She always planned ahead, always brought everything ‘just in case’. Yet today was different. Today, they’d been at the Dubois, interviewing suspects. It was springtime, so she hadn’t brought a jacket. It was daylight, and the sun was bright in the sky. She hadn’t needed a jacket, so she didn’t bring one.

Until they completed their interviews with a client, which gave them the lead they were following now. They knew that had to watch over this bushwhacker camp, tonight, or they would lose the case. Which brought them to where they were now: with Kate Always-Come-Prepared shivering like a wet dog.

Pressing his lips together, Will shrugged off his coat. **“It’s cold. Here, take my jacket.”**

Kate shook her head and pushed it away. “No, it’s okay. I’ll be fine.”

“No, you won’t.”

She glared at him. “If I take it, you’ll be freezing.”

He fingered the small woolen sweater he was wearing. “I’ve got this. I’ll be fine.”

She was torn. She looked back and forth between him and the coat, before nodding once and taking the coat from him. Putting it on, she was swallowed by the hefty amount of fabric. Wrapping it around herself, she lay back down beside him. “Thank you,” she said softly. Her shivering had stopped.

“You’re welcome,” he replied, smiling a little to himself.

  1.   
Shrugging into his coat, Will followed Kate out of the Dubois and onto the main street of Kansas City. The air was heavy; typical for the muggy May weather they were experiencing currently. Still, there was a remarkable bite to the somewhat frigid air. Midwestern weather was one of the weirdest things he’d experienced in his career.



“This way,” Kate motioned, leading him down the boardwalk to the livery.

Frowning, but still following, he asked, “I thought you said this had to do with the case?”

Kate hesitated momentarily. Looking back at him, he could see an unknown question in her eyes. She was doubting herself. “It does… Sort of…” She answered slowly. He narrowed his eyes at her and grinned softly. Pressing her lips together and returning the smile, Kate continued, “This will make our cases easier for both of us.”

She kept walking. Intrigued, Will followed her into the livery, where she continued to his horse’s stall. He reached out and pet the animal’s nose, watching Kate suspiciously as she told him to ‘wait here’, and she went on to the back of the stable.

She came back only moments later, holding a brown paper package in her hands. Apprehensive, she ran her fingers over the parchment before handing it to Will. “I got this for you.”

Stunned, Will looked at her. Her gaze locked with his. “Why? It’s not my birthday, is it?”

Kate laughed. “No, it’s not your birthday…. I got it… **Just because.”**

Smiling a little bit, Will turned the package over in his hands, ripping it open. Removing the paper and throwing it to the ground, he saw what she had given him. A new saddle pack. Not only was it brand spanking new, it had been polished lovingly. He ran his fingers over the soft leather, marveling at the shininess of it. He knew the company that made this didn’t polish it themselves. Kate had spent her time polishing this for him.

Looking up at her, she smiled when she saw the awestruck look on his face. “You remember that case- we were down by the river, we had to pursue the suspect and your saddle bags fell off?” Will remembered. He’d been so upset, but he hadn’t told Kate. He hadn’t told anyone. He’d just let it fester inside. It had been his fault, after all. He hadn’t had time to attach the bags correctly.

“How did you know?” He asked, softly. “I didn’t tell you… I didn’t tell anyone how upset I was.”

Kate smirked. “I know you better than you think.” Moving closer to him, she flipped the saddle bag over. “This is the best part,” she said, running her fingers over a spot on the leather.

Will smiled. She had gotten it engraved. _William Pinkerton._ He ran his fingers over each embossed letter, savouring the feel of polished leather and his name etched in it, forever. He looked back to Kate. He knew getting bags engraved cost a small fortune.

He swallowed the lump in his throat. “You didn’t have to do this,” he managed.

Kate smiled. “Yes, I did.” Looking down at the floor, she nodded. “You’re my partner- in work, in crime. In life,” she said, softer on the last statement. “We work better together. And you work better with the right equipment.”

Will looked back down at the beautiful present. He was overcome with gratitude. He was so used to being alone. His parents – god, he loved them, but with him being so far away, the only tokens of love he got from them were crumbly shortbread and letters. Don’t get him wrong, he loved those things. But it did get lonely, working alone. Being a detective was a lonesome job. Unless you had a great partner.

Raising his eyes back to Kate, he folded the saddle bags to his chest. “Thank you,” he stated, trying to pack meaning into the two words. “Really… Thank you. So much.”

  1. **  
** “It’ll just take a few minutes,” Kate sighed, trying to peer into the foggy window. “I’ll just ask her about the size of the dress, and we should have a case closed. We can file the reports tomorrow,” looking up at Will, Kate squinted. “You look terrible. Go on home.”



“No,” Will rebutted. **“I’ll wait.”**

Kate frowned. “You don’t have to.”

Will grinned. “I know I don’t have to. I want to. I’ll walk you home when we’re done.”

Kate tried to hide the gladness on her face, but Will saw it, all the same. And he hated to admit it, but seeing her happy made his heart leap with joy. He was tired, he was hungry, but he would wait for her, because he knew she’d do the same. Anything to make her happy, he decided. Anything.

  1. **  
** Cookie trail constellations were scattered across the June sky as Will dismounted his horse outside Kate’s house. The night was deep indigo and navy, cloaking Kate’s yard in a deep darkness that mirrored across the county. He sighed. They hadn’t had any cases for weeks. Kate had said she’d gotten an inquiry today, that he should come by in the evening so they could discuss it. At this point, Will was ready to try anything. Anything to quit being so bored.



Will pulled the door open without knocking. “Honey, I’m home!” he called mockingly.

Kate stuck her head out from the doorway. “There you are!” She came towards him, smiling wide. She was like a kid on Christmas morning. “We got a case!”

Will laughed. “You look a little too happy, Kate,”

She bit her lip, blinking. “You’re right,” she admitted. “Sorry – it’s just, oh dear, we’ve been cooped up doing _nothing_ for weeks…”

Will nodded. “I’m with you. It’ll be nice to get out and do something for once.”

Turning to the kitchen, Kate motioned to her table. “Take a look at my notes while I go get supper.”

Obediently, Will went to the table and scanned her notes. Neat, as always. The case looked promising. “You made dinner?” He asked, running his hand over the lines of text.

Kate came back, carrying a pot of steaming stew. “Yes, I did. **I made your favourite.”**

Will’s heart skipped a beat. Something as simple as favourite meal being made especially for you shouldn’t make him smile, he thought. Then again, maybe it should. He smiled, ear-to-ear. “Thank you,” he responded softly, picking up the case files and sitting down next to her. “Now, let’s do some sleuthing.”

  1. **  
** They were using Will as bait again.



How many times had they done this? Too many, Kate decided. Honestly, some of these suspects must be dumber than dumb if they hadn’t caught on before. It managed to work every time. Either the suspects fell into the Pinkerton trap, or the citizens of Kansas City were so relieved Will was behind bars, they were willing to cooperate. Kate laughed under her breath as she marched along the boardwalk to the sheriff’s office.

They had tried locking Kate up, once. They thought it would work the same way it always did with Will. It was disaster. Half of their suspects left town, the other half got drunk (in Will’s company) at the bar. It didn’t work nearly as well as they had hoped. So, they were back to square one: Will Pinkerton, behind bars. Yet again.

Kate entered the sheriff’s door and smiled at the lawman. He glowered at her, clearly not happy to see her. She could say the same. “I’m here to see Will,” she said strongly, shifting her weight on her feet.  She wanted to know any developments.

The sheriff grunted. “That way,” he motioned towards the holding cell.

Kate nodded and made her way to the cell. Will looked up from the bed as she approached, smiling when he saw her. **“I was just thinking about you!”** he said excitedly. “How’s life on the outside?”

Kate shrugged, sliding the food she had brought from the Dubois under Will’s cell. “Boring. No one’s talking, yet.”

Will sighed, standing and coming closer to Kate. “Gotta admit, this is kinda nice,” Will teased, egging her on. “I sleep all day, get food brought to me, always warm, always dry – and, most importantly – I never have to work with you!”

Kate rolled her eyes. “Enjoy it while it lasts, Pinkerton,” she ordered. “We’ll have our man soon enough. And when we do, you’ll be working double time to make up for these lazy days spent in here.”

  1. **  
** They rode into the yard together, coming up short at Kate’s hitching post and dismounting their horses. John came up the meet them – dirty, holding a shovel. “How’d it go?”



Kate smiled, exuberant. “It went really well! We got Macdonald.”

John returned her smile, raising the shovel in one hand as a victory cheer. “Wonderful!” He lowered the garden tool and looked at Kate, then to Will, then to Kate. “No offense ma’am-”

“But we look awful,” Will finished, coming around his horse and making his way to Kate’s house. “We know, John. Thanks for reassuring our hypotheses.”

Kate patted John on the arm. “Don’t mind him. He’s just a little grouchy. We fell in some mud while chasing Macdonald.”

John gave Kate a once-over, mouth turning slowly into a grimace. “I can tell, ma’am.”

Kate nodded, smiling at John. “Can you put our horses away? It’s late, Will can stay here tonight.”

John agreed, tipping his hat to Kate. “Goodnight, ma’am.”

“Goodnight,” Kate responded, making her way to the house. Entering the doorway, she saw Will, already stripped down to his long johns, piling his muddy clothes in her wash bin. “A little warning might’ve been nice,” she noted drily as she saw his underwear in front of her.

Will rolled his eyes. “Come on, Warne. We’ve been through hell and high water together. A little underwear won’t kill you.”

Kate sighed and started peeling off her dress. If she had to see him in his long johns, he’d have to see her in her shift. “Ugh,” Kate groaned as she examined her legs. “There’s mud everywhere.”

“I know,” Will called from the kitchen. “Which is why I’ve already prepared a bath.” Turning, Kate saw that he, indeed, had. She smiled. Will motioned. **“You can go first.”**

Kate knew she should protest, but she was so tired and dirty, she didn’t care. “Are you sure?”

Will nodded. “Absolutely.”

  1. **  
** “What do you mean, he hasn’t been down for two days?” Kate demanded. She knew her voice was growing louder for the second, and she hated herself for it.



Annalee shifted, pursing her lips and putting her hands on her lips. “You don’t need to shout at me. I told you what I know. Will hasn’t come out of his room for two days, at least. Maybe more.”

Kate pressed her lips together. Worry caused her heartbeat to quicken. Starting towards the stairs, Kate wracked her brain. They had completed a case four days ago, and Will said he wasn’t feeling well, so he went home. She hadn’t even considered checking up on him until just now – the sheriff had told her he needed their help.

Mentally, Kate reprimanded herself. What kind of partner was she? Will had said he hadn’t been feeling good, and she didn’t even think to check up on him until there was work to do.

Finding Will’s room, she knocked on the door. “Will?” Kate could hear her voice – it was shaking. Wavering. What if something had happened to him? She’d never forgive herself. “Will, it’s Kate. Let me in, please?” There wasn’t a sound from inside the room. Her heartbeat quickened. What if someone knew he was feeling under the weather? What if they had known he’d be weaker, and had come to sabotage him? What if he was hurt? What if –

Kate pushed the heartbreaking thoughts out of her head, pressing her hands up to her temples. “Focus,” she told herself, trying to be objective as she pressed an ear to the door. Nothing. No sound, no movement. “Will?” she yelled, knowing he probably couldn’t hear her, but talking to keep her own nerves steady. “Will, I’m coming in!”

Prying open the lock with her picking kit, Kate breathed a sigh of relief when the door swung open. Stepping inside and shutting the door, she hurried over to the bed. There he was, lying underneath several blankets, face sheen with sweat. She crumpled with relief when she saw he was still breathing.

Touching his face, she saw he was burning up. “Will, I’m here now, darling,” she said hurriedly. What was she even saying? She didn’t know anymore. Her hand was shaking uncontrollably. She was so relieved he was alright. Scanning the room, she saw he hadn’t been out of bed for several days. His clothes from the last day she’d seen him were in a pile by the door. He was laying shirtless in bed, clearly running a fever. There was a bucket with vomit next to him, but no medication anywhere in sight.

Clearly, he’d come home feeling awful, crawled into bed, and hadn’t managed to get up. No one had come to check on him, and he didn’t have any medication. Kate’s eyes unwillingly brimmed with tears. How could she be so careless?

Wiping her eyes, Kate got to work. She emptied the vomit, called for Annalee to get her some medication and covered Will with blankets. Making sure his feet were covered, she took the thermometer out of her satchel and inserted it into his mouth. She continued to talk through the whole ordeal. She wasn’t sure if she was talking for the benefit of Will, or for herself.

Annalee came with the medication as Kate finished reading the thermometer. He was definitely running a fever. Annalee looked horrified. “I’m sorry, Kate,” she babbled. “I just didn’t think to check on him… The last few days have been so busy at the bar… I’m so sorry.”

Softening her expression, Kate consoled Annalee. “It’s alright,” she reassured. “I should’ve been more concerned as well. It’s not your fault.”

After Annalee left, Kate crushed the medicine and stirred it into a glass of water. Judging by Will’s parched lips, he hadn’t had a sip in a few hours. Gently holding his neck in her hand, she lifted the cup of water to his lips, relieved when he swallowed it. He was clearly floating in and out of consciousness. Laying his head back down on the pillow, Kate covered him with blankets again. “Don’t worry, Will. I’m here now, and I’m not leaving. I promise.” She stroked his forehead, feeling the fever lower. Brushing some hair out of his eyes, she sighed, relieved.

The afternoon continued. Kate sat for the most of the afternoon on Will’s bed, by her side. She didn’t allow herself to leave him. She didn’t want to. She allowed herself to cry for a moment, thinking on how irresponsible she’d been. What had she done? Wil was always there for her; always checking up on her even when she was fine. And the one time he had needed her most, she had been oblivious. “I’m so sorry Will,” she blubbered, crying. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d cried. “I should’ve been here for you… I’m so sorry.”

Eventually, the tears dried. Miyo and Kenji came up to see how Will was doing. Miyo gave Kate some herbal remedy she said would help. The sheriff also dropped by; upon realizing Will was sick, he nodded, and left. Afternoon crept into evening. Kate didn’t leave the bedside.

The room was dark when he finally woke up. Kate had lit his bedside lamp and was thinking back to the day they had first met when he opened his eyes. Kate blinked several times, convinced she was seeing things. “Kate?” he croaked. It was obvious he hadn’t used his voice in several days.

Overcome with relief at hearing him speak, Kate moved as close to him as she could. Yet again, her eyes brimmed with tears. “I’m here,” she managed. His eyes were glassy, but he was awake.

“You’re here,” he repeated, seeming dumbfounded that she was. A pang hit her heart.

“I’m so sorry, Will,” she cried, feeling tears running down her cheeks. Swiping at them furiously, she tried to stop crying- yet found she couldn’t. “I was so stupid, I didn’t come and check on you… I’m so sorry, Will. You’re always there for me, and the one time you needed me, I wasn’t here for you.”

Will managed a small smile. Slowly, he ran a hand along the side of her face, tracing the tears that continued to fall from her eyes. “You’re so pretty, even when you cry.”

Kate managed to laugh. Typical Will. She knew it was mostly the drugs talking, but that was still Will for you. Sick and recovering from near-death, and still making comments about the ladies.

Sniffing and sitting back up, Kate wiped her eyes and grabbed the thermometer. “Let’s check your temperature,” she ordered, gently placing the thermometer in Will’s mouth.

He looked at her; studying her like someone who hadn’t seen her in a long time. The thermometer continued to rise in calculations; his eyes never left hers. She couldn’t seem to look away. She found his hand, clutching it in hers, gently running her fingers over his callouses.

Finally, the calculations were done. She read the thermometer and sighed. “Your temperature’s back to normal,” she told him. “But that’s more the medicine than anything else. You need to rest for a few days before you’ll be better.”

Will nodded. He didn’t have any fight in him; he was too compliant for normal, everyday Will. Kate swallowed the lump in her throat. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

Will’s eyes softened. “It’s okay,” he whispered back. “Please, Kate, don’t feel bad. You’re here now.”

 **“What would I do without you?”** Kate blurted. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them. Will kept studying her. He wasn’t afraid of the words. Kate plunged on. “That’s all I could think of… I don’t know what I’d do. How could I keep going? If I lost you?” Breaking eye contact, Kate looked down at their fingers, intertwined. “It was just a fever… But if I hadn’t come to get you for work, it could have been worst.” She looked back at him. Both of their eyes were glassy. “I’m sorry,” she said again. Her voice trembled. “I’m so, so sorry.”

Will closed his eyes as her words washed over him. “Kate, it’s okay. Truly. You’re here now… That’s what matters.”

He was fading. He was tired. Kate let go of his hand and leaned closer to his face. “Go to sleep now,” she whispered softly. “I’ll be here when you wake up.”

“Promise?” he said softly. There was a hint of yearning in his voice.

“Promise,” she answered, without a hint of hesitation. Leaning forward, she pressed a kiss to his forehead as he slept. She would always be there, she decided. From this moment on, she would vow to always be there for William Pinkerton – just as he was always there for her. That’s what good partners do, she thought. Good partners are always there for each other.

**Author's Note:**

> A few notes of interest for those of who are historical nerds and like research behind random things.  
> 1)The bluejacket is a native flower of Missouri, and it’s beautiful! Google some pictures!  
> 2) Tortiere is an amazing Canadian dish I have grown up eating and making. It is basically a meat pie; with fantastic crust and seasonings, it’s truly a delicacy. I’m hungry just thinking about it!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! Please comment below and let me know what you thought. Come say hi on Tumblr, if you want! @bravekindgrace


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